When will Yahoo quit trying to be like Google?

June 3, 2014

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Yahoo is allegedly planning a release for its video service this summer if the project can move through contractual red tape, Ad Age reported. Producers who attended the latest talks about the venture say the search engine is looking for its service to rival YouTube, making this Yahoo’s latest attempt to keep up with Google.

The new video platform is expected to alleviate a number of hot-button issues video producers currently have with YouTube. Namely, people creating the video content aren’t getting a fair cut of the ad profits, with Google scraping a solid 45 percent off the top. Yahoo’s primary incentive is that it’s giving producers a fair shake, or about 50 to 100 percent more than they would get from YouTube ads.

Could a Yahoo video service take YouTube down?

Money is a powerful incentive, but it may not have the heft needed to pull the rug out from under YouTube. People involved in the talks about the release said Yahoo was asking for video licensing rights that are unheard of in the industry (perpetual licenses to the content), revealing the search engine is unfamiliar with the medium.

Even if the contractual stipulations move forward and producers get on board despite concerns about Yahoo’s inexperience, there’s still the important question: Does the service even stand a chance?

Google and YouTube are the reigning champs for web traffic, dominating as the top destinations for web activity and searches in comScore’s Media Metrix March 2014 and March 2014 U.S. Search Rankings reports, respectively. It’s also worth noting that while Yahoo continues to have a hard time stealing any search traffic back from Google (10 percent to Google’s 67 percent), it is nipping at the search giant’s heels where web activity is concerned across its entire site network. There’s a chance that an affiliate video service could push Yahoo over the edge and attract enough users to become a competitive threat.

The Yahoo vs. Google saga continues

However, Yahoo’s track record for competitive ventures isn’t necessarily impressive. The site redesigned a number of its top pages last year to increase personalization, but has yet to see its slice of the search pie grow. It’s also been developing semantic technology to stay on pace with Google, but has so far failed to generate buzz around its project innovation.

It’s hard to say what the future holds for Yahoo, and it’s been speculated that Google’s unfaltering dominance will come to an end. But for now, it looks like Yahoo has a rough road ahead in its attempts to keep up with a competitor that’s steadfast in its evolution and improvement.

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Lauren Kaye is a Marketing Editor at Brafton Inc. She studied creative and technical writing at Virginia Tech before pursuing the digital frontier and finding content marketing was the best place to put her passions to work. Lauren also writes creative short fiction, hikes in New England and appreciates a good book recommendation.